Living In Fiji: Say Goodbye To American Ideals

By Victoria Robertson on January 19, 2015

Studying abroad in Fiji is unlike anything I’ve ever done. And to say that it’s the most beautiful location I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting would be an understatement.

Before arriving, I imagined that I’d be studying on a gorgeous island. Little did I know, the Fijian scenery far surpasses that. All my expectations have been shattered upon arriving, and all in a good way.

Our first couple of nights on the main island of Viti Levu were spent in the Best Western Hexagon International Hotel. While it’s certainly a more inexpensive stay, it lacks certain cleanliness ideals we have as Americans.

For instance, I didn’t believe I would be sharing a bathroom with spiders and ants, or have windows that allowed in a constant flow of insect life, but now I’ve somehow developed an immunity to the many bugs taking up residence in the Fijian hotels.

In fact, before even moving into our rooms, we gathered in the conference room of the hotel for a meeting, at which point a large cockroach decided to greet us at the door. It may sound sweet, but let me reiterate the part about it being a cockroach.

Then I found myself waking up one morning to a new spider at the bottom of my shower, unsure of how he got there, and unsure of what killed him. Rather than searching endlessly around the room for the cause, I shrugged and continued about my business.

This all coming from the girl that’s squealed on multiple occasions because an ant walked across my foot truly says a lot about what you’re willing to live with in certain conditions.

Also, I don’t think I’d ever been to a resort with a hot tub that was growing its own ecosystem, but the Hexagon was quick to change that for me. The muddy green water had to be home to at least one family of frogs and I’ll bet there wasn’t a single guest in the hotel that could’ve been paid to jump in.

While I did catch a lucky break in having my own room for the first few nights, especially since my bathroom door refused to close the entirety of my stay, those American ideals we’ve come so accustomed to were noticeably absent, something I wasn’t prepared for in the least.

Another lesson I’ve learned is in the meaning of “Fiji time.” Here on the island, there is a laid back style of living far from the fast-paced hustle and bustle of back home in Chicago.

Because of “Fiji time,” we are constantly having to tell buses and boats to pick us up earlier than we actually need them and end up sitting at restaraunts for about an hour before getting our food. This of course is not including the time it takes to get a waiter over to the table to take the order and to bring back the drinks. I recommend going out to dinner at least an hour before you think you’ll be hungry if you ever decide to visit Fiji.

However, this relaxed way of life is something we should envy: rather than having to get everything done immediately, the Fijian people strongly believe in taking their time and enjoying themselves. This is something we could learn from, without a doubt.

Just this morning we moved into a new resort called the Uprising and we are staying with three to every room. Let me tell you, moving from the last hotel to this resort is nothing short of a giant leap.

The place is stunning.

Each room has an outdoor shower complete with garden scenery and an open ceiling to look out at the sun or stars, a front porch with table and chairs and even shrubbery to conceal you from your neighbors.

And this is all before you even leave your room.

A short walk takes you to a beautiful pool overlooking the ocean. While the beach here isn’t the white sand beach you’ll see on the Fijian postcard, it’s still within walking distance from the hotel and is relatively empty most of the time.

Really, the only thing this resort lacks is air conditioning, which, surprisingly, the Hexagon actually had.

While I still have quite a long way to go in terms of hotel hopping, I feel like I’ve already experienced quite a bit in just these two locations.

And with these experiences, I’ve learned to not only appreciate the finer things, but also to be open and willing to embrace experiences I honestly never thought I would be a part of.

I have Fiji to thank for that.

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